#alittlepatchofgreen is a monthly look at small patches of green and what is in bloom there.
Education of the public is perhaps the most important part of our work. In order for areas to be left in a more natural state, we need the public on board so that the council is not inundated with complaints that the grass hasn't been mowed. Sadly the negative voices are often the loudest. This year we have initiated #tags in an effort to get the word out. We also encourage the public to look at their own little patch of green and see what is growing there. In conjunction with the council we hope to leave areas unmowed for the season so that we can record exactly what is growing in each space and follow them from leaf to seed.
Old St. Mary’s is turning into a biodiverse haven in the centre of town. This beautiful place has a range of habitats including a high tower from where, if you are very very lucky, you might see a Sparrow Hawk scanning for food.
We spent the last week of April rediscovering little patches of green around town and naming the plants found there. One such patch, perhaps 4m by 3m, contained 23 different plants. We hope that by naming the plants and by encouraging the public to see beyond the dandelion, they will see that there are many plants that provide pollen for insects already in the ground just waiting for the opportunity to show themselves.
We are encouraging the adoption of #alittlepatchofgreen and our own members have begun in earnest. It can sometimes be difficult to convince people that all those wildflowers need to be tidied up so we are starting small. Having raised awareness with #alittlepatchofgreen and are moving onto #ourgreenpatch where we will provide signs to mark these spots to encourage the awareness. As the months pass we will return to each spot to see how the natural wildflowers are progressing.
